Carolina gives me a hug hello, and then Sierra gives me a hug good-bye. She tells me to call or text if I need anything.

“If you’re going to play babysitter, at least order some pizza,” I tell Rex as we make our way into the living room.

He chuckles. “I can do that in exchange for the Wi-Fi.”

“Oh, yes, the Wi-Fi.”

“Can I say something without you being pissed at me?” Rex asks.

Grace, Carolina, and he are all in the living room with me as we watch TV and devouring slices of greasy, cheesy pizza.

“Depends on what it is you say.” I pop a pepperoni into my mouth.

“You shouldn’t be mad at Lincoln,” he says matter-of-factly. “You know that, right?”

I point at him with my slice of pizza. “Yep, that definitely pisses me off.”

It’s a topic I’ve battled with myself over. Since I kicked Lincoln out, I’ve done nothing but think about our argument, think about how I asked him to leave with such sorrow filling my heart. I’ve thought about what I’d do in a situation like that, whether it be the person I’m falling in love with, a close friend, or a sibling.

How hard would it be to keep something like that from others?

To know they could be in trouble but wouldn’t do anything about it?

To know that something worse could happen?

“Come on,” he says with a chuckle. “Hear me out first.”

My brother is brilliant, one of the smartest men I know, and his problem-solving skills are out of this world. He also has a heart of gold. At the beginning, his and Carolina’s relationship had some bumps in the road because she was keeping secrets from him—the same way I did with Lincoln.

“Fine,” I mutter. “Let me hear it.”

“Our situation was similar but not similar.”

I scoff, “Uh, that’s not a great way to start because it doesn’t make any sense.”

He sets his plate to the side, scoots to the edge of the couch, and rests his elbows on his knees, pinning his attention on me. “I was worried about Carolina and looked through her phone … and hacked into her ex’s shit … all to protect her.” A glimpse of frustration flashes along his face at the memory, and Carolina scoots in closer to him, squeezing his knee. “When you care about someone that much, you care about their safety more than them possibly being mad at you. Had Lincoln not gone to someone, had he not wanted you to go to the cops, I’d be questioning his feelings for you. At least talk to him, and please, for the love of God, go to the cops.”

His words are another punch in the reality face for me.